I’ve been looking forward to today’s passage for a week! As you may recall, last Monday I got so caught up in Paul’s heart’s desire for the lost that there was no time to comment on the fact that he was praying for their salvation. Well today that fits right in with our assigned verses of 14-15! Thanks for being patient! haha

Here’s what I want to say about prayer. Apprently, for some unknown and incomprensible reason, God has chosen us to make us his partners. He has elevated us to the highest of positions, making us co-workers with Himself. Does He need our help? Absolutely not! But for some reason He has given us responsibility to be faithful in prayer. And once in awhile, it seems, He moves His hand in conjunction with and in response to our faithful prayers.

There’s something mystical and mysterious about this truth. My prayers are somehow able to move the hand of God and can change the world–at least in some realms! Most of the time God is omnipotently working his wonders in ways we could never comprehend, but in limited arenas it seems that God has chosen to put us in the “prayer equasion”:

God’s Power + Man’s Prayers = Change.

This same truth is evident in evangelism as well. For some unknown reason God has placed the task of evangelism squarely on His followers shoulders. The “evangelism equasion” looks like this:

Could God reveal Himself to lost people without us? Absolutely, and I’m sure there are cases when He does, but by and large He is counting on us to be faithful in praying for and sharing with those who are lost so they come to trust in Him.

As I read somewhere recently, Jesus invested His life in 12 men and returned to His Father in Heaven, entrusting them with the job of spreading His message to the entire planet. He had no Plan B. He was going to let them and their descendants succeed or fail according to their own faithfulness. Wow!

Today’s passage in verses 14-15 totally supports the concept of this juxtaposition of God’s sovereignty and the responsibility of man. I’ll reverse the order.

We are sent (God’s part).
We preach (Our part)
They hear (involving both God and man)
They believe (both God and man)
They call on God (both God and man)

Bob said it well on Sunday: how humbling it is to think that God chose you and I to be His instruments (I would say, partners) in communicating the Gospel to a lost world!

Those are my thoughts for today. If you have time, share yours as well!

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While reading the two verses for today, I was struck at how many things have to happen so that a person can come to faith in Jesus Christ. However it happens, I am glad that it does!
I agree that it is humbling to realize that God wants to partner with us.